1919 World Series Ticket Stub - Game 1

This rare and highly desirable ticket stub (lower grand-stand seat) from Game 1 of the infamous 1919 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds, held at Redland Field in Cincinnati, is all the more notable for its significant provenance. Both this ticket stub and the 1919 World Series ticket stub from Game 2 offered in the next lot, originate from a collection of newly discovered 1919 "Black Sox" material once belonging to a member of the Woodland Bards. (For further information on the Bards and the story behind all of this material, please see the preceding lot.) Its exceptional provenance notwithstanding, this ticket is steeped in historical significance. It was in Game 1 that the Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Eddie Cicotte intentionally hit the first batter he faced, thereby signaling the gambling community that the “fix” was on. The “Black Sox” lost Game 1 by a score of 9-1, and the crooked actions of the now infamous “eight men out” (Cicotte, Joe Jackson, Lefty Williams, Swede Risberg, Chick Gandil, Buck Weaver, Hap Felsch, and Fred McMullin) allowed the Reds to win the Series in eight games. Few, if any, 1919 World Series ticket stubs have survived in perfect shape, and this is example is no exception. Moderate creasing affects much of the ticket, and there is a small area of surface paper loss along the left border. In Very Good condition overall. Despite its technically accurate grade, this is among the best examples we have seen and one of the few that we have handled that was not previously mounted in an album (many exhibit surface paper residue on the reverse from having been removed from an album or scrapbook). The 1919 World Series is still the most famous and talked about World Series in baseball history. This is an extremely rare and exceptional World Series ticket with a historical significance and universal appeal that transcends ticket collecting. Size: 4.25 x 2 inches. Reserve $500. Estimate $1,000/$2,000. SOLD FOR $2,644

(Click the smaller thumbnails to the left and right (if any) to cycle through each photo in the gallery of images for this lot.)